In the troubled space that used to be the home to LA’s only outpost of East coast hotdog staple, Nathan’s Famous, a new breezy eatery has arrived.  Chinese Friends Fresh Szechuan Kitchen is now open at 5050 W. Rosecrans Ave. in Hawthorne (next to Starbucks).  The restaurant is open from 10:30am to 3:00pm and then from 4:00pm to 9:30pm and offers an extensive menu of traditional dishes, friendly staff, and a bright dining room guarded over by the portrait of Chairman Mao on the front of a neon-lit Forbidden City.  There are bold plans for expansion: I was assured by the manager that they intend on making this the flagship store for a future chain.  You can read more and check out the menu here:  chinesefriendsusa.com.